That's the Way I Loved You
by Uvabunchies
Summary: E&B are high school sweethearts. One anniversary, something goes wrong and B calls it quits. Four years later, E&B are back for A&J's wedding, but B has moved on. Can three months bring them back together or is the greatest love they've ever known gone forever? Longer summary inside. E/B main pairing, HEA ending.
1. TtWILY Chapter One

**That's the Way I Loved You**

Summary: Edward and Bella are high school sweethearts. Despite the many arguments, they both thought it was forever. But that all changes when Edward misses their anniversary and she realizes she can't do it anymore. Four years later, Bella has moved on and Edward regrets losing the greatest love he's ever known. They both return for Alice and Jasper's nuptials, old wounds open for Bella and Edward discovers his feelings never went away. Can three months change everything or will B & E be separated forever?

AN: For information reasons, at the start of the story, E & B are both 18. They are seniors are in high school. Also, text like _'this'_ are text messages and text like _"this"_ are thoughts.

Disclaimer: Twilight = not mine.

 **Chapter One**

May 9th, 2012

"Bella!" I hear him shout my name and, after slamming my locker shut, I turn in the opposite direction to head towards my first period English class.

I can hear him running to catch up. "Bella, wait."

"What?" I shout at him as I turn to face him, my angry brown eyes meeting his beautiful green ones. "What excuse do you have this time? Was a kitten stuck in a tree? Did Jasper need your help beating a video game? Did Emmett get his foot stuck in a toilet again? Did you have to save Sting from a burning building?"

"No, nothing like that. I – God – look, I . . ." He trails off as he runs his hand through his hair. I look at him, annoyed, as I wait for his answer. "I had to be there for Tanya. Her boyfriend broke up with her."

Scoffing, I say, "Tanya doesn't have boyfriends – she has flings. She was fine." I can tell he's about to interject on her behalf – _'That's not like Tanya.'_ He'll say. – and, having heard it so many times and not wanting to hear it again, I explain "That's no reason to miss a date. Look, I get it – she's your friend and you want to be there for her when she's hurting or in trouble or whatever. The fact of the matter is, if you're going to miss our date, you should call me. Or text me. Something, anything, just so that I know what's going on, instead of being left wondering where you are! Just so I'm not sitting at home all night, wondering if you're okay or if you crashed into a tree on the side of the road and are being rushed to the hospital!"

His face softens as the warning bells ring through the halls. "Look, I really don't want to do this with an audience and I also don't want to be late for class. We'll _talk_ about this later." I walk away and finish heading to my English class. I slide into my seat just as the final bell rings.

I'm making my way to the cafeteria for lunch when I get pulled into a janitor's closet. Shocked, I look up to see Edward staring down at me. I open my mouth to say something when he speaks up.

"Shut up. You spoke earlier; now it's my turn." I close my mouth and nod to indicate he can continue. "I don't want to fight. I don't like it when we fight. It's almost the end of our senior year, graduation is just around the corner, and I don't want to spend the last moments of our high school life arguing like this. I know we're going to the same college but it's still going to be different." I look away when he says his last statement.

He puts his hands on my cheeks and pulls my face back up to look at him, "Anyway, I realized you were right. I should have told you – in some way – that I wouldn't be able to make it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not showing up. I'm sorry for not contacting you. I'm sorry for making you worry. It won't happen again, okay?"

I try to keep my "angry face" on but the façade starts to crack. "You promise?" I say with a smirk.

He laughs and, as he pulls me in for a kiss, says "Promise." right before our lips meet. A few minutes later, he checks to see if the coast is clear and we make our way to the lunch room, holding hands. He's right – we should just enjoy the last days of our high school life. I'll tell him about college soon. For now, everything – every problem – is forgotten.

May 30th, 2012.

"Hey, Edward, it's me. Obviously. Who else would call you from my number? Anyway, well, it's – " holding the phone between my shoulder and ear, I take a break from searching for my favorite pop tarts to look at the clock above the sink – "9:00 am so you're still sleeping. When you wake up, I won't be able to answer the phone if you call. I made a hair, make-up, and nail appointment for tonight, which is why I'm calling. I just wanted to give you a reminder. I also just wanted to say I'm so excited and I can't wait to see you tonight. I'll see you at the restaurant at seven. I love you."

I'm flipping through a magazine, getting my pedicure, when my phone vibrates.

 _'Just woke up. Got your message. Will definitely be there at 7, beautiful.'_

"Oh, what put that smile on your face?" Dorota, my nail technician, asked.

"Um, my boyfriend. He's just confirming our plans for tonight." I show her a picture of Edward on my phone.

"He's a gorgeous one. You're lucky."

Laughing, I agree. "Yeah, he's hot, alright. It's our anniversary today. Three years." Dorota gives her congratulations before moving onto the next part of my pedicure and I return to my phone.

' _Noon, huh? That's a record, even for you. I'm pretty sure you could rival Emmett. ;P'_

 _'Can't beat him yet but I gotta get my practice in. It's an important part of any training regimen.'_

 _'Oh, I see. You're right – practice is important. I'd hate for you to pull a muscle in the main sleeping competition. Lol. Now that you're up, what are you doing?'_

 _'Besides thinking of you and how beautiful you're going to look tonight? I'm just watching SportsNet with Em and Jazz.'_

 _'Sounds riveting.'_

 _'Well, I'm sure it'll change in a couple of hours. Rose is upstairs helping Alice pick out 'the perfect outfit.' They're making Em and Jazz go shopping with them.'_

 _'Oh, the non-simulated horror. I'm glad I have an excuse to be exempt.'_

 _'Is that all our anniversary is to you? An excuse to get out of shopping with Alice? ;)'_

 _'Of course. Well, that and the gift I'll be getting. Those are pretty much the only perks to dating you.'_

 _'Oh, I'm wounded now. I thought I meant to more you than that.'_

 _'Sorry to burst your bubble. Okay, I'm about to lose the use of my hands for now so I'm going to have to stop. I'll see you later. Happy anniversary. Love you. xoxo'_

 _'Enjoy your appointments. Happy anniversary. Love you more. See you tonight, Beautiful.'_

At seven, I walk in to Il Modo in Cui ti ho Amato – the Italian restaurant where we had our first date – and make my way to the host's stand.

"Table for Cullen." I tell the hostess. She grabs a menu and leads me to the empty table. I'm a little worried that Edward isn't here yet but it's possible he just ran into a little bit of traffic. The hostess pulls out my seat for me and, setting my purse and coat on the back of the chair, I slide onto the seat. She places the menu down and informs me the server will be over shortly to take my drink order.

Three hours have past and I'm absolutely livid. The server – a lovely girl named Amy – tells me that they're closing and asks if she can get me anything. I look around and see the restaurant has emptied of everyone except for the staff.

"No, just the check. Thank you." I say with a small smile.

"Honey, all you got was water and the complimentary breadsticks. You don't owe a thing." I get up, put on my coat, grab my purse, and head to the exit. "Actually, wait here for a second."

She comes back with a white, square box and hands it to me. "You're probably starving so here. It's on the house." I can see the pity in her eyes but I reluctantly take the box anyway.

"Thank you." I say before she grabs the dishes and heads back to the kitchen. I leave five dollars on the table as a tip for the free mystery item and exit the restaurant.

On the way home, it takes everything I have to keep from falling apart and, by the time I walk in the door, it's like I've gone numb. I should've expected that he wouldn't show – this is how it is with us. Everything's perfect for a few weeks and, then, he forgets a date, a call, or does something that causes us to fight. So, yeah, I should've expected him to pull a no-show. Should've known he wouldn't even call to tell me he would be late or he wouldn't make it.

Taking off my heels and placing my coat on the hooks by the door, I make my way into the kitchen with the take out box and my purse. Slinking into the table chair, I take out my phone and look at it. Screen illuminating my face, I see the same thing I've been seeing for the past two hours and forty five minutes now. _Zero missed calls. Nothing new there._ I've already called him about twenty times with no answer so calling again is pointless. After grabbing a fork, I open the box and see tiramisu starting up at me, causing me to remember all the good times on this day.

 _May 30_ _th_ _, 2009._

 _"Can I get you guys anything for dessert?" The waitress at Il Modo in Cui ti ho Amato asks us._

 _"Tiramisu. Thanks." Edward answers as I was about to ask for a menu. The waitress writes it down on her notepad and turns to me._

 _"Would you like anything? Or maybe I should just bring two forks with the tiramisu?"_

 _"Two forks is fine. Thank you." The waitress walks away and, surprised, I ask, "How did you know?"_

 _"I'm just that good." He smirks. "Actually, I saw you licking your lips at it earlier when they brought it out to that other table." I smile at him as the waitress brings out our dessert and we dig in._

 _May 30_ _th_ _2010._

 _"Where are you taking me?" I laugh as I faintly hear the twigs snapping beneath our feet._

 _Chuckling, he answers, "You'll see soon."_

 _A few more minutes of walking and he removes his hands from my eyes. I look around and see several candles placed sporadically._

 _Astonished, I ask "When did you have time to do all this?"_

 _"I may have had some help with the set up. And, then again, with getting them lit in time before we got here."_

 _I immediately know he means Alice. No one can quite get something like this done in time except for that crazy pixie I call my best friend. "It's beautiful but why the special treatment?"_

 _"Well, there's something I wanted to tell you and I wanted it to be perfect. But, first, we should sit down so I can show you our dessert."_

 _After we're settled on the picnic blanket, he pulls out a white, square box and opens it to reveal a piece of tiramisu, exactly like the one on our first date but there's one thing different about it. On top of the pastry, written in chocolate, are the words 'I love you.'_

 _My breath catches and I look up at him in confusion. "It's true." He says. "You're beautiful and amazing and perfect and my life is so much better with you in it. I love you, Bella."_

 _I throw my arms around him and kiss him with all the passion I can muster. I pull back a few seconds later. "I love you, too." I say, giddy and in love. He kisses me again and then he pulls out a plastic fork and we feed each other the tiramisu._

 _May 30_ _th_ _, 2011._

 _"So, how was it? Are you okay?"_

 _Turning to face Edward, I respond "It was fine. I'm okay. I mean, yeah, it hurt. . . a lot, but, because it was with you, I'm okay." I move to put my hand on his face, but he grabs it before I can and kisses it. Thinking about what we just did, I start laughing. I can see the confusion on his face so I explain._

 _"I can't believe we're a cliché! I mean, seriously. On prom night!" At this, Edward starts laughing with me._

 _"Well, I got us something and I hope that makes it less of a cliché." Now I'm confused as Edward shows me the white, square box and I immediately know what it is. I smile at Edward and kiss him chastely on the lips before opening the box as Edward grabs the fork._

May 30th, 2012, 11:30PM

Something wet hits my thigh – I can feel it seep through the thing fabric of my dark blue dress. The tiramisu suddenly becomes blurry – I worry about something being wrong with my eyesight before I realize I'm crying. Once I do, the water works come full force. Barely able to see through my tears, I pick up the tiramisu and throw it in the trash and make my way to my room. Once there, I tear off the dress like I can't get it off me fast enough and throw it in some general direction. I put on my favorite pajama bottoms and go to pair with my favorite shirt of Edward's before I toss that to the side, too, and put on the matching henley. I don't care about taking off my make-up or taking down my hair – I just curl up on my bed and let the tears flow.

 _"He forgot. He actually forgot. He's forgotten dates before but not like this. Never our anniversary."_ Feeling my heart break more with every moment, I just think, _"I don't how much longer I can let him break my heart."_

I don't know how many hours have passed when I hear something hitting my window. I wish it would just stop. I finally think I catch a break with it before I hear it start up again. Wait, I know that sound. It's pebbles. I turn to look at my phone. It's 1:45 am. I have several missed phone calls and unread texts from Edward, starting at 1:00 am.

 _'Bella, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to stand you up.'_

 _'Are you mad? I wouldn't blame you if you are but I hope you're not.'_

 _'Who am I kidding? Of course you're mad. Look, I understand if you don't really want to talk to me right now but, please, just tell me you're safe at home.'_

 _'Or tell me something. Anything. Even a K. Just so I know you're safe.'_

 _'Please just respond to my texts. I just need to hear from you.'_

 _'I didn't mean to forget and stand you up. I am really sorry. Please stop ignoring me.'_

 _'If you don't respond soon, I'm coming over.'_

 _'I love you.'_

 _"Okay, I thought you'd respond to that one for sure. Something along the lines of 'I love you, too, but I just need to be alone right now. We can talk later.' but I'm not getting anything from you.'_

 _'That's it. I'm coming over to see you. I have to make this right, have to make this up to you. I'm leaving now.'_

 _'I'm outside.'_

 _'You can ignore my texts and calls all you want. I'll find some other way to get your attention.'_

I hear the sound of pebbles hitting the window again. Knowing it's Edward, I send him a quick message.

 _'I get it. You want to talk so you can stop with the pebbles. I'll be down in a minute.'_

I quietly tiptoe out of my room and make my way to the bathroom downstairs. No way am I going to let Edward know I was crying over this. I look in the mirror and see what a mess I am. Dried, black streaks from my eyeliner on my cheeks. Smudged blue eyeshadow around my eyes. What was once beautiful curled hair is now a rat's nest. Tackling my hair first, I run a brush through it and pull it up in a messy bun and then grab one of my make-up remover sheets and get rid of the messy eye make-up. Trying to make my face look less puffy, I put on some light foundation.

 _"There. All ready."_

I slip on my converse and make my way to the back door where I see Edward leaning against the fence. The second he sees me, he pushes off the fence and cups my face in his hands. I can see the regret on his perfect face, just like he can see the pain in my eyes. We just stand in silence, listening as it begins to drizzle, before he speaks.

"I'm so sorry. I know I said that in my text but it's all I can say about this. It's just because I am sorry for missing our date."

Dejected, I reply "You've missed dates before, Edward, so I've come to expect it and, usually, sorry can fix it. But I can't just let this time slide with sorry. This wasn't just a date – this was an anniversary. You've never missed those before. You showing up for sure on this night was the one thing – the one constant – I could count on. The one time I believe that you'll always show up and, tonight, you shattered that. You want to make this better? Then explain to me why you didn't show. Didn't even call. A reason's not going to make it better, not going to fix it, but it'll help me start to determine if I can forgive you."

Removing his hands from my face to run them through his hair, he sighs. "This won't make you any less mad but I went to a concert." I'm about to yell at him when he speaks again. "I know! Missing our anniversary for a concert is the most stupid reason in the world. This wasn't just any concert, though. It was a concert for my favorite band's one time only reunion tour. I wasn't able to get tickets when they went on sale so I forgot about it. But, then, when I found out a friend got two tickets at the last minute, I couldn't pass it up. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I had to make the decision right away because, just as I was about to leave to meet you, Tanya showed up with th – "

"Tanya?" That little tidbit of knowledge just twisted the knife in my heart deeper.

"Oh, shit. I wasn't going to include her name." He must've sensed how much that hurt me because he takes my hands in his. "Bella, I went because it was my favorite band, not because it was Tan – "

I pull my hands from his in exasperation. "Don't say her name! Don't you dare say her name right now! You spent _our anniversary_ with _her_?! I can't believe you! Of all things with all people, it had to be _her_ that you blew me off for! You know how much I hate it when you hang out with her! Because she likes you, because she's after you! But, because I know you love me, because her plans haven't ever worked, because she's a long-time family friend, I deal with it. For you!"

In an effort to calm me down, he puts his hands on my shoulders and, suddenly, all the fight goes out of me. The rain has picked up and is a full-on downpour now. It's soaking us and I realize I can't keep fighting with him anymore. I know what I have to do. I think part of him knows it, too, because his hands are shaking as I prevent him from saying whatever he was going to say.

"I can't keep doing this, Edward." I say as my shoulders slump and he drops his hands as if he's been shocked. "I can't keep fighting with you every two, three weeks. It's not a relationship anymore – it's just a vicious cycle. We fight then we're happy, then we fight, then we're happy again. Over and over, on and on, and we can't do it anymore. _I_ can't do it anymore."

"Then we'll change it! We'll fix it! Tanya has been a big stressor on us and, once we're at NYU, it won't be an issue anymore. We can make it through this and things will get – "

"No. Tanya has been a part of our problems but not a big one. It's not just her coming between us and I don't want to fix us. I don't think there's anything left to fix and I'm done trying to. I think it's best we just end things now, before we go off to college, and we go in our separate directions. Strong high school relationships barely last through college and ours isn't strong anymore, not by a long shot. I think we should just make it a clean break."

I don't look at him as I turn to go inside. I don't give him a chance to say anything. I know his face is going to be full of heartbreak. I know what he's going to say. I'm at the door and, before he can say anything, before he can make one last ditch effort to get me to stay, I whisper "I'm done."

Leaving him on the back porch, in the pouring rain, I slide down the door and all the tears I'd been holding in just come pouring out.

June 1st, 2012.

My head feels like it's been hit with a hammer but also like it's stuffed inside one of those protective wresting helmets. I grab my phone to check the time and see that it's 1:30 in the afternoon. I expect a bunch of calls from Edward but see no notifications.

 _"Good._ " I think. But I also feel hurt because I wanted him to call. Wanted him to continue to fight for me, even after I told him I was done. Though, if I'm wanting things, I want last night to have never happened. I want him to have never forgotten about our date. I want him to have chosen me over that stupid concert. Maybe then we could've been okay. I get out of bed and make my way downstairs. I don't feel hungry but, having not eaten for over 24 hours, I should eat something.

"Afternoon, Bells." I'm surprised to see Charlie home. It's a Friday and, being Chief of Police, he should be at the station, not at home in the middle of the day, reading the newspaper.

"Afternoon." I reply. "Why are you home?"

"Decided to take a half day. I'm going fishing with Harry." He looks up at me from his paper as I sit across from him. "Just checking the weather forecast. How's Edward? Did you have a good date last night?"

He goes back to his paper and I answer, "He forgot. We broke up."

I can tell Charlie is shocked by this as he puts down his paper and doesn't say anything for a few minutes. "Uh, what happened? Are you okay? Do you want me to cancel my fishing trip?"

Charlie doesn't do well with emotion and I can tell, while he would if I said yes, he doesn't really want to cancel his fishing trip. "I don't really want to talk about it, so, short version is it seems like all we do is fight anymore and I'm tired of fighting. And, no, I don't want you to cancel your trip."

He's silent for a bit longer before he asks, "Is there anything you do want?"

I don't know how to answer that question. I'm actually shocked he asked it and I definitely didn't expect it.

 _"I think we should just make it a clean break."_

Thinking back to what I told Edward last night suddenly makes it clear.

"I want to leave Forks."

June 1st, 2012 – EPOV

Hearing Bella say she was done while looking so broken made me realize just how much I screwed up. I did that to her - I made her look broken and I hate myself for it. I have to make it up to her. I have to make it okay. Even though she said she's done, I don't believe we are. I refuse to believe that's how we end, refuse to believe that's where and how our story ends. I messed up and hurt her but I'm not giving up on us. I'll give her some time to calm down and then I'll get her back.

June 12th, 2012 – EPOV

It's been eleven days since Bella broke up with me. I've given her space to calm down and forget about this but it's gone on long enough. It's time for me to get her back, get us back. I pull up to Bella's house and get out of my silver Volvo. After making my way up the stairs, I knock on the door, hoping to see Bella. However, I'm dismayed when Charlie answers the door. And, also, a little bit scared because he looks like he hates my guts. _"Okay, so, obviously, Bella told him what happened."_ How much she told him, I don't know but she definitely told him we broke up.

"Good morning, sir. Is Bella home? I was hoping to talk to her."

"She's not here, Edward."

 _"Okay, so, she's not home right now. But she'll come home at some point today."_

"Do you know what time she'll be home? It's very important that I talk to her. I have to make things right."

"Edward, she doesn't want to make things right. Besides, when I said she's not here, I didn't mean she's not home. I mean she's gone. She left Forks."

My blood runs cold at that tidbit of knowledge. "What?" I say, shocked and feeling hopeless.

"She left Forks. She wanted to make a clean break from you, from the memories, so she left for college early."

 _"So she just left for NYU early. I can talk to her there. I still have a chance to get her back. I just have to wait a little longer."_

"I see. Then I guess I'll just have to wait until I see her at NYU to talk to her." I say, feeling a little bit of hope returning. Charlie's closing the door but, at that, he stops and opens the door again to step out onto the porch.

"She didn't tell you? I know she broke up with you so things must've been bad but I'm surprised she didn't tell you."

My brow furrows. "Didn't tell me what?"

"Oh, boy. Okay. She's not going to NYU. She got accepted to Harvard. Some kid dropped out at the last minute and she was offered a full ride so she took it." I can tell Charlie is done with the conversation but, before he goes inside, he offers one last piece of advice. "Look, she just wants a clean break so I think you should respect that. Don't try and hunt her down. Leave her alone – let her move on and live her life. I don't know what happened exactly, but I think it's the least you could do for her, if you really do love her."

I say thank you before Charlie is able to close his front door and I run to my car. I rush home and race to my room, picking up the cell phone I left on the desk. I immediately call Bella's number.

It rings forever before I finally get through and am about to say something before I hear "The number you have dialed is not available. Please check the number and try again."

I try a couple more times, only to end up with the same message. I throw my phone in frustration and turn to my laptop. I pull up Facebook and search for Bella's name on my profile only to discover it's not there. I type her name into the search bar and it's not showing up. I can't even find it on the friends list for our mutuals – my sister, Alice, and brother, Emmett, and our friends, Jasper and Rosalie Hale. I try her Twitter, her Tumblr, her Instagram, every social media account she has and get the same thing as the first. I even try emailing her and I just get it sent back to me with the general "we cannot find this email address." message.

I feel the fight go out of me as I realize she's blocked me on everything. She's deleted me from her life. My shoulders completely deflate as I realize there's no hope left. She's gone. I lost her.

AN: So that's the end of the chapter one. This is the first story I've actually decided to release so I look forward to any feedback and I hope you enjoyed chapter one.


	2. TtWILY Chapter Two

**That's the Way I Loved You**

AN: For information reasons, at the start of the story, E & B are both 18. They are seniors are in high school. Also, text like _'this'_ are text messages and text like _"this"_ are thoughts. Also, sorry for the long wait in updating! Things have been really crazy for me at work (new job, even though I've been there for about seven months now). I'm going to try really hard to better about updating. I also wanted to say thank you for all the reviews and feedback! It's certainly more than I expected so it gave me lots of warm fuzzies (what I call when things make me feel warm and fuzzy inside). I'm not a total monster so this is an actual chapter as a Christmas gift to you all but I do have just one more thing to say. To the guest who reviewed on August 28th: **This is an Edward and Bella story.** I hope you'll continue reading but, if you decide not to based on this knowledge, I completely understand. Anyway, on to the chapter!

Disclaimer: Twilight = not mine.

 **Chapter Two**

August 31st, 2012 – BPOV

It's been over two months since I left Forks. Charlie was supportive of my decision to leave immediately. He even took the time off work to drive me – and my stuff – all the way to Harvard. He helped me bring all my stuff in and we went to dinner before he left to go back to Forks. Just after I got to Cambridge, I blocked Edward from my phone as well as all my social media accounts. I called Alice and Rose after I left to tell them Edward and I broke up and that I was gone. I also told them I was sorry I didn't tell them I was leaving and that I didn't tell them good bye before I left but I couldn't risk Edward finding out and trying to stop me. They were sad we didn't see each other before I left but they understood. We all agreed to stay in touch, despite my separation with Edward.

I had about two weeks alone before I met my roommate. Her name is Angela Weber and she has brown hair with eyes to match, though they are hidden by a pair of simple black frames. She's kind of shy and a bookworm so it took some time but I eventually got her to warm up to me. We have a few things in common, actually. Our favorite book is _Wuthering Heights_ and our favorite movie is _Romeo and Juliet_ – the one with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, of course. Our favorite teenage heartthrob is Jordan Catalano from _My So-Called Life_. We also both agree it was cancelled way too soon and deserved more than one season. Moving on, she has a boyfriend named Ben Cheney. He goes to the University of Cambridge and is studying to be a journalist. Angela is studying to be a teacher.

Classes have been in session for two weeks now and classes are going pretty well. It's still very early but I'm really enjoying my Shakespeare: The Early Years class. It's actually my favorite one so far – the lectures and discussions are so interesting. It's my last class of the day and just let out so I'm on my way back to my dorm with the intent to do some homework when I hear someone call after me.

"Hey! Hey, you, with the brown hair and the converse!" I turn around to look behind me and see someone with black, shoulder length hair and tan skin running to catch up with me.

"Uh, do I know you?" I ask once he's next to me. He looks unfamiliar to me but I could have seen him somewhere.

"Not officially. Name's Jacob Black. I'm in the Shakespeare class with you. This fell out of your bag." He hands me my worn copy of _Wuthering Heights._

I take it from him. "Oh! Thank you. I didn't even realize. It's my favorite book – I would have been devastated if I'd lost it."

"Then I guess you owe me for getting it back to you." I'm shocked that he thinks I owe him for bringing my book to me when it just happened and he hardly went out of his way for it. I think it must've shown on my face because he says "I'm kidding. You don't owe me anything. It was no trouble."

I chuckle with him and say "You're cheeky."

He gives me a teasing, kind of wolfish grin before he says "So you don't owe me anything but, if you were feeling thankful, I'd like you to let me take you out."

"Like a date?"

"Yeah, like a date. I've noticed you in class and you weren't afraid to speak up, to speak your mind. It's refreshing. You also have some really sound ideas and viewpoints . . . and the most amazing eyes." I blush a little at the ending compliment. Edward always loved my eyes.

"Um, I don't think that's such a good idea right now. So I'm going to have to say no. I'm sorry."

"Okay, I understand. But, if you don't mind my asking, why isn't it such a good idea right now?"

I'm a little hesitant to answer because it's the first time I'm actually admitting my break-up to someone who doesn't know both Edward and I. It's almost like it's making it even more real. "Well, if you must know, I just got out of a really serious relationship and I'm not ready to start dating again yet."

"Okay. That's fair. Make me a promise, though."

That's . . . unexpected. I thought he would've tried harder and pushed for a date like most guys. "Okay. Fine. What's the promise?"

"You may not be over him or ready to date again yet but you're going to have to sometime. So you give me your number and, when I call you in three months, you say yes to a date with me."

 _"This guy is real piece of work. But what's the harm in giving him my number? He's going to move on and not remember this in three months. He's not going to call and ask me out."_ I thought as I ripped a piece of paper out of my notebook, wrote my number on it, and handed it to him. Oh, how wrong I was.

November 1st, 2012 – BPOV

"I can't believe he actually called! I can't believe I said yes." It's almost 7:00 pm and I'm – nervously – waiting for Jacob to pick me up. It's my first date since Edward. I didn't think he was going to call but, true to his word, he did. I wasn't going to say yes but I thought back to what he said about how I'm going to have to date again eventually and I realized he was right. I can't not date forever and it's been five months. It's time to move on and why not with someone who respected my wishes when I said no originally and then waited three months without asking me every day?

Despite agreeing, I was freaking out and Angela was trying to calm me down. "Bella, calm down and stop pacing. You're going to have a great time and you could do a lot worse than Jacob. And, even if tonight isn't great, then there are no expectations and you don't have to go out with him again. Worst thing that will happen is you've wasted one night of your life."

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door and Angela gets up to answer it. On the other side are Ben and Jacob. Ben and Angela are having a movie date night in the dorm so Jacob and I left while Ben settled on the bed by Angela's laptop. We get to Jacob's car and I see it's an old Volkswagen Rabbit.

Jacob gets the door for me and, as I climb in, he tells me "You look really beautiful tonight." I blush and say thanks.

He closes the car door gently and I think _"This is so different from Edward. He never opened the door for me, not even when we first started dating."_

Jacob walks over to his side and climbs in the driver's seat. As he starts the ignition, I ask "So, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise but, trust me, you'll like it."

Deciding to let myself be surprised and accepting his answer, we start to get to know each a little. I discover he has an older sister named Rachel, she owns a wedding boutique in Seattle, his mother got cancer and passed away when he was young, he likes to fix up cars – he actually completely rebuilt the Rabbit, he's getting a business degree so he can open up his own auto shop one day, and his favorite color is red. In return, I tell him that I'm an only child, my parents are still happily married, dad's a cop, mom's a jewelry designer and I didn't see her when I left for college because she had just started a three month traveling trade show two weeks before I left, I want to be an author, and my favorite color is blue.

Before I know it, we arrive at our destination. "Bowling?" I say, shocked. He just shrugs his shoulders. "I haven't been bowling in forever."

"Well, then, I guess I picked a good place." He says before getting out of the car and coming over to open my door again.

"Strike! Woohoo!" I shout as my throw my arms up into the air. We're on our fourth game and I've been winning all night. There's pizza and soda on our table and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Curiosity" is playing over the speakers at the moment. I make my way to the table and get a slice as Jacob stares, shocked, at my third strike in a row.

"How are you getting all these strikes?! I wish I knew this before I decided on bowling." He says, slightly exasperated. I laugh at his reaction and he joins in but then turns serious for his turn. He's never going to beat me at bowling but it's cute that he thinks he can. He finishes his turn with a seven and comes to grab a slice himself – we've been picking at the pizza, off and on, since it arrived about two hours ago.

The song changes to "You Make Me Feel" and I state "I can't believe it's 10. I've been having so much fun – I didn't even notice how much time has passed. I can't remember the last time I had this much fun."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I'm glad you came out with me tonight. You know, I was worried you were going to say no."

"Honestly? I was. But then I thought about what you said about having to date again eventually and you were right. And I thought that my first date after Edward could've been with a guy way worse than you – someone who pushed me for a date after I originally said no – so I said yes. And I'm glad I did because tonight has been really fun, relaxing, and I needed this. Thank you."

"You're welcome. What do you say we finish this game and then I can take you back to your dorm?" I agree and get up to take my turn.

"You didn't have to walk me all the way back to my door."

"Nonsense. You deserve to be walked back to your door. Besides, it's not a big deal and I'm happy to do it."

"Well, thank you. And thank you, again, for such a fun evening." I say as I fumble with my keys.

"I should go but would you like to go out again?"

This time, there's no hesitation. "Yes. I would love to." He smiles his big, wolfish grin and kisses my hand before walking back to his car.

He's about halfway down when I call out to him. "Jacob! Wait!" He turns just as I run up to him and plant a kiss on his lips. He's shocked at first but then kisses me back. His kisses are different from Edward's – warm and slow, like we have all the time in the world.

"Wow. Uh, I was definitely not expecting that. Thank you. I'll call you. Tomorrow. I'll call you tomorrow." I giggle at how flustered he is and nod my head in acknowledgement before I go back to my dorm room and, as I close the door, I see he's still standing there, shocked, before he shakes himself out of it and leaves the building.

I lean against the door and think _"I'm really glad I took a chance on Jacob."_

September 22nd, 2016

 _"There. All unpacked."_ I'm standing in the kitchen doorway, just looking at the open space. I graduated last month and just moved into a townhouse. Renting it, of course. It's the perfect space. It has a kitchen, dining room, living room, two and a half baths, two bedroom and a sunroom for $1,500 a month located in Boston. This place is spacious and affordable – I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop with this because I couldn't believe the price for it but the owner just wanted to be able to rent it out and soon, for some reason.

Jacob and I are still together. As any couple would, we've had some fights, especially when we first started living together in our senior year but we resolved our differences and came out stronger for it. We're really happy together. I'm really happy with him. He's so sweet and considerate and we're equals to each other. He met Charlie and Renee when I brought him home for Christmas our sophomore year. Turns out, Charlie knows Jacob's dad – they used to be really good buddies when they were younger. When Jacob's mom passed, Billy had his hands full with being a single parent so they lost touch but, when Jacob and I started dating, they were able to reconnect. Billy has even started joining Charlie and Harry's fishing trips. Additionally, Charlie and Jacob can talk for hours about business, cars, fishing, and sports. Jacob also really gets along with Renee. He's really interested in her jewelry business and I'd be very concerned if he hadn't explained that Rachel and her friends, Leah and Emily, would always force Jacob to play dress up with them which ended up inadvertently teaching him about fashion a little. He also helps Renee in the kitchen sometimes. Seeing him get along with my parents made our relationship stronger and I was able to see he really fit into my life both in Forks and Massachusetts.

Jacob got a full-time job as a mechanic at a car dealership and, for now, I got hired by an online publication located in Boston. They publish things like fun quizzes and have recipes and DIY projects and the like. It's not exactly what I wanted for my career but it's a steady paycheck, I can work from home – or anywhere – if needed and I know, realistically, I'm not going to become a published author just after I graduate. I have a few chapters for a couple of different book ideas that I've sent out to publishers but none of them are interested right now. Things are good. My life is good and I'm happy.

After spending the past couple of hours unpacking and getting the place set up, I pick up my phone and see I have a voicemail from Alice. I dial my voicemail, input the code, and listen to what she has to say.

"Bella! Why aren't you answering?! This is crucial! JASPER PROPOSED! I'M GETTING MARRIED! Anyway, the wedding is in December – Christmas themed! – and I hope you'll be my Maid of Honor! Remember, you promised you would be! I'm going to need your help planning the wedding and it's going to be in our backyard in Forks so I need you to come back here ASAP. Call me back and I can't wait to see you!"

AN: That's the end of chapter two! Review and follow, if you want! I look forward to the feedback! Happy Holidays, everyone!


	3. TtWILY Chapter Three

**That's the Way I Loved You**

AN: For information reasons, at the start of the story, E B are both 18. They are seniors are in high school. Also, text like _'this'_ are text messages and text like _"this"_ are thoughts. Thanks, again, for the great feedback! I'm really glad you all are enjoying this story! This chapter is entirely in Edward's POV and will take us through his time in college and will also be taking us through his experience after the breakup. Also, I suck, I know. I tried to get this chapter out sooner but Edward wasn't speaking to me all the time. I think Bella tends to be more vocal with me. I'm sorry, guys. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: Twilight = not mine.

 **Chapter Three**

September 20th, 2012 – EPOV

It's been about four months or so since I broke Bella's heart and since she left Forks, cutting me out of her life. I'm trying to move on but it's hard. Bella went to Harvard and that's all I know. I've tried asking Alice about her but she won't tell me anything. And it's not like I can force her to tell me because she's at school in California – all across the world from me. Not only am I completely alone for the first time in my whole life but it feels like it's truly over this time with Bella so I have nothing left to do but try to move on. I'm at NYU right now and focusing on my classes. College is a lot different than high school. It was so easy in high school – I barely had to study, passed all my classes easily, and everyone loved me. At college, I feel like I barely know anything, the classes are difficult, and no one knows who I am.

I'm being forced to live in the dorms – something about my parents thinking it'll help build character – and my roommate hates me. His name is James Witherdale. He has light brown hair and light blue eyes. He's originally from New York but living in the dorms because he's some hotshot football player and got a scholarship. Apparently, living on campus makes it easier for him to go to practice. You'd think we'd actually get along because we like a lot of the same things – sports, good music, for example – but he's a jerk. You'd think someone who needs a scholarship and had _his_ kind of upbringing – going to a low income public school and being in a middle class family – he'd be less stuck up and rude but, apparently, that's not the case. Speaking of the jerk, guess who just walked in.

"Hey, man, I got invited to a party tonight and I'm going with a bunch of my teammates. Want to come with?"

"No, I'm good. I don't need you to get me into a party, _man_." I say with annoyance and extra emphasis on the man to show my dislike for the nickname he insists on calling me – and for him.

"Okay. Suit yourself." He shrugs his shoulders and lays on his bed, listing to music on his smartphone.

He's always doing stuff like this to rub how great he is in my face. He'll offer to introduce me to the cheerleaders that are always hanging on him or invite me to hang out with him and the football team. He's offered to tutor me when he saw the C- I got on a term paper. He pretends he's being a nice guy but I know he's just showing off his popularity and smarts. Like I said earlier, he hates me and that's the only reason he's offering to do all these "nice" things for me.

October 20th, 2012

It's been a month and I'm finally getting the hang of this college thing. I'm doing better in my classes and I spend all my time in my dorm room or the library. I haven't really made any friends here – not even with people in my classes. I've tried but no one seems to want to hang out . . . ever. College is so different from high school. Back in high school, the grades came easy, everyone loved me, and everyone wanted to be my friend. In high school, I was on top of the world. Here, at college, I have to work for my grades, the subjects are a lot harder, no one knows me and the ones that do know me don't want to know me. I've never felt smaller than I do right now.

On the plus side, James has finally stopped showing off, at least. He's stopped offering to tutor, stopped offering to hang out, stopped inviting me to parties and football outings and just everything. He barely even talks to me now, for which I'm thankful. Thankful that he stopped showing off his popularity, and his amazing grades, and how much better than everybody he thinks he is.

December 22nd, 2012

It's finally the end of the semester and I just had my last final. I'm so relieved to be done with this semester and James. He's been getting my nerves even more than usual lately. I don't know why but everything about him just bothers me now. When he taps his pencil, or plays video games, or even just seeing the clothes he wears. He walks in the door and sits down at his desk and starts messing around his phone – probably texting one of his lame friends.

 _"One more day. Just one more day before I never have to see him or deal with him again. Just one more day before I head home to Forks for the break."_

"Ugh." I say as he starts tapping his foot against the floor.

He gets up and whirls around to face me. "Dude, what is your problem?!"

I feign nonchalance as I respond. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a problem with you."

"Bull! You've had a problem with me since the day we met and I have no idea what I did! This whole time, I've been nothing but nice to you – or, at least, tried to be!"

"'Tried to be nice to me'?" I say, using air quotes. "You haven't been nice to me – you've been rubbing your popularity in my face, showing off all your friends and bragging about your spectacular grades."

Exasperated, he exclaims, "What?! Dude, no, that's how you've been seeing that all this time? I wasn't trying to do any of that at all – I was trying to be your roommate, your friend! I was just trying to help you and include you. God, you're more selfish, snooty, and stuck-up than I thought."

It's clear he's given up as he just walks out of the room before I can respond. I don't actually know how to respond. For maybe the first time in my life, I'm speechless.

December 23rd, 2012

The plane just hit the tarmac. I'm officially back in Forks. James wasn't in the room when I went to bed and I left the dorm early this morning before he woke up. It's for the best. I'm not sure we'd know what to say each other. Or if we'd even say anything. I certainly still don't know what to say so it was probably for the best that we didn't actually see each other before I left for winter break. I just passed security and I see Carlisle, my dad, waiting for me. He waves to me and, when I get next to him, pulls me in for a hug. I hug him back, tightly. I've missed my dad. I've missed my family. It's been hard to not see them every day so I'm excited to see my mom, Esme, and my siblings, Emmett and Alice.

Dad claps me on the back. "Let's get home. Alice and Jasper have been there for a couple of hours already and Emmett and Rose arrived just as I left to get you. Esme has been missing you all terribly and can't wait to see you. She can't wait to have everyone back home again."

I laugh because that is just so Mom and agree. I start wheeling my suitcase and follow Dad to where he parked.

The drive from the Seattle airport was fairly uneventful and it felt like forever before we pulled up to home. Suitcase, free from the trunk and following behind me, I step through the front door and my senses are immediately assaulted with Christmas music and the scent of home mixed with Mom's amazing gingerbread cookies. I walk into the kitchen and see Mom, Rose, and Alice in full-on Christmas cookie baking mode. They haven't even noticed I'm here.

"Well, something smells good in here."

Esme wheels at the sound of my voice and rushes to give me a tight hug, which are then followed with hugs from Alice and Rose. I've missed my mom. I've missed my sister. I've missed Rose. We may not be related (yet) but she's still like a sister to me. I've just missed being home. Dad walks into the room followed by Emmett and Jasper. We all catch up before I leave to put my suitcase in my room and then Emmett, Jasper, and I head down to the basement to play video games. Dad was called into the hospital for an emergency and the girls went back to making the cookies.

December 24th, 2012

I pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store, completely on edge. I don't know why but no one seems to know how to drive around the holidays. I wouldn't have even gone out today had Mom not asked if I could go to the store and pick up some items she forget to get for dinner tonight and tomorrow. The roads were filled with idiots. The parking lot was filled with idiots. And the store is filled with idiots. Everyone is walking slow, stopping randomly, and generally just being in the way. I put the last ingredient needed in my basket, round the corner, and am about to head to the checkout line when I see her.

Bella is picking up some things, too. I didn't think I'd see her this soon. I didn't think I'd see her at all right now. Even though her parents live here and this is her hometown, too, I just didn't think she'd come back so soon after everything. I guess I thought she'd want to stay away longer. She still looks like my Bella, except she's not my Bella anymore. She's still beautiful, though. And is she favoring her left arm? She's right handed and usually holds bags and the like with her right. I look a little closer and realize she has a sprint on her wrist.

I'm about to walk up to her and say hi – and find out what happened to her wrist – when I see she gets a text message. And smiles . . . brightly. I recognize that smile. She used to give me that smile. I saw it for the first time the next time I saw her after our first date.

I turn around and walk down a different aisle to the registers. She's happy. She's moved on. And she definitely doesn't want to see me.

I arrive home, put the bags on the kitchen counter, and head straight to my room, slamming the door shut. Seeing Bella – and seeing Bella has moved on – didn't do much to help my annoyed mood. If anything, it made it worse. I hadn't actually thought about her in months because I knew, if I thought about her, I'd want to call her and she blocked me from everything. I thought being able to put her out of my mind would help me move on. I thought I had moved on but, apparently, I was wrong. I still love her as much as I did almost eight months ago. On one hand, I'm glad she's not in pain anymore. But, on the other, I hate that she's happy and doing okay while I'm miserable. Resolving to put Bella out of my mind again, I put in my headphones and slowly drift off.

I don't how much time has passed. I just know it's dark. I reach for my phone on the nightstand to check the time. I'm blinded by the light but, as my eyes adjust, I see it's a little after five. I get up and make my way downstairs. I know my family will wonder about what set my mood off earlier but I don't really feel like getting into it and I don't want talk of Bella to put a damper on our holiday so I just explain that people were idiots and they left it at that. They know that dealing with strangers on holidays always put me in a negative mood for this very reason.

Esme is the first to break the ice and change the topic. "Well, dinner is ready so let's sit down to eat and then we can decorate our gingerbread houses for our annual gingerbread house competition."

We all agree and make our way to the dining room. Pretty soon, we're all eating and joking and having a blast. It's just like old times. I can see the happiness and joy on everyone's faces and I just feel like my happiness is fake. And it's because Bella is supposed to here. She'd spend every Christmas Eve with my family and me. I can see her all night long. I can see her sitting next to me at dinner. I can see her giving it right back to Em and Jazz. I can see her talking fashion and celebrities with Alice and Rose. I can see her talking politics and news and literature with my mom and dad. I can see that happy smile she used to reserve just for me as I grabbed her hand under the table. I can see her completely dominating at the gingerbread house challenge. I can see her curled up on my lap as we all drank hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. And, at the end of the night, when we would sneak away to watch the snow fall, I can see her when she would hand me my present. And I can see her standing on her tip toes to kiss me gently after she opened hers before I'd stand behind her and wrap my arms around her to just watch the snow gently kiss the ground as she laid the back of her head against my chest.

Everywhere I look, there's the ghost of Bella when she was mine, when I put the smile on her face. But, now, someone else is. Bella is happy and I'm miserable. With only the hot chocolate in my hand, I look around the room. In the glow of the fireplace, Esme and Carlisle have abandoned their hot chocolates on the coffee table and are starting to fall asleep, wrapped up in each other. In the glow of the fireplace, Jasper and Alice whispering sweet nothings as their legs are entwined. In the glow of the fireplace, Rose has her legs on Emmett's lap and he's massaging her feet. Everyone has someone except for me and I don't quite feel like being surrounded by couples anymore tonight so I excuse myself to retire to my room.

December 25th, 2012

I hoped, when I woke up this morning, I wouldn't feel so gloomy but I guess it was wishful thinking. At least, the weather matches my mood. Gray, overcast, and not even the snow can cover the gray, dirty slush on the ground from last night. Still, it's Christmas and I've got my family so I'm not completely alone. Putting on my gray slippers and the red Christmas sweater Mom makes us wear every year, I make my way downstairs for our Christmas pancakes.

Everyone is already settled at the dining room table and has food on their plates.

"Couldn't even wait for me, guys? I see how important I am." I joke to everyone at the table.

Em is the first to respond. "Well, we couldn't wait all day for you to get up, pretty boy. We were hungry and the world doesn't revolve around you, you know?"

I feign shock and put on my hand on my chest. "What? It doesn't? I'm wounded."

"Okay, guys, less joking, more eating. I can't wait for everyone to open their presents!" Alice clapped happily and everyone dug into our food and light conversation.

After we all cleaned up our dishes, the kitchen, and put the food away, we made our way to the living room for presents, per Alice's request. Of course, she went first. Everyone loved their gifts and we were about to settle in to our tradition of watching Christmas movies when Emmett spoke up.

"Before we start the movie marathon, there's actually someone I forget to give a gift to." We're all confused before he turns to Rosalie and gets down on one knee.

"Rose, when we first met, you were the only girl to turn me down and not fall at my feet. You had me chasing you for months before I finally wore you down and got you to agree to go out with me. Ever since then, you've always been by my side, even with all the stupid stuff I did. You never gave up on me and I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. From the very first day, when you punched me for a pig, I knew you were going to be the woman I marry. I don't want to wait one more second to ask you this. So, baby, will you marry me?"

Looking at Rose, you can see the shock and happiness on her face. She's speechless for about ten seconds before shouting yes and jumping in Em's arms. When she leaves his embrace, we all offer our congratulations. Mom and Alice go to look at the ring as we crack jokes at Em's expense and then we settle in for the marathon.

It's about quarter to 2 and I can't sleep. Bella is still on my mind. No matter what I did, no matter how much I tried not to think about her, she kept popping up. I make my way downstairs to get some water. Maybe that will help me sleep. I know usually warm milk makes you drowsy but I don't want to put that much work into it.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, I'm surprised to hear Alice speak up. "What's wrong with you, Edward?"

Shocked, I tell her "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine, Alice."

"Don't lie to me, Edward. You've been weird ever since you returned from the supermarket yesterday. Everyone else may be willing to act like they haven't noticed but I can't anymore. Talk to me."

Shocked that everyone saw through my façade, I reply. "I thought I was doing a good job at hiding it. Apparently not."

"You were but your eyes gave it away. Whenever you're upset, the smile never reaches them."

I chuckle at that. "I'll have to practice that, then." Letting out a breath as Alice moves next to me, I tell her. "I saw Bella the other day. The first time I've seen her since the breakup. She's happy; she's moved on. It's only taken her almost eight months to get over me, to get over our three years together. Meanwhile, I'm still in love with her. I'm miserable. Being back here, I see her everywhere and I relive all our memories – good and bad – and it's worse now that I know that she has someone else. I didn't actually talk to her but it seems like, since she left, she's thrived and I've . . . hit rock bottom. College is harder than I thought it would be. I've got no friends there, I have to work hard just get to an average grade, and I just feel so alone there. I had it made it here. What if I peaked in high school? What if I never amount to anything? What if my life got completely ruined when Bella broke up with me?"

Alice hugs me tight as I continue to explain, continue to get everything off my chest. I explain about the C- I got. I explain about no one wanting to hang out with me. I explain about how James was a complete jerk. At the end of it, I feel so much better, so much lighter. It's like a weight has been lifted.

"Edward, I'm sorry that things have been so hard for you. But why didn't you say something? To any of us? You know we'd be there for you, no matter what."

I shrug my shoulders. "I don't know. You all have your own lives. I guess I didn't want to burden you with it."

She punches me on the arm. "You're not going to burden us with this! We're family! We're here for each other!" She says, exasperatedly. "Besides, you're wrong about having no one wanting to hang out with you at college. Your roommate genuinely wanted to hang out with you and be your friend but you were being a jerk to him, not the other way around. You were jealous of him because he was the big man on campus, which you're used to being. But that was here. In Forks. Here, you were a big fish in a little pond and, there, you're a small fish in a big pond. No one probably wanted to hang out with you because of that mentality but James did. James wanted to give you a chance. Just something to think about. I'm going back to bed but I hoped this helped."

I went back to my room and continued to think about what Alice said and realized she was right. James was nice. I was the jerk. And all because I was jealous of him, because he had everything I used to have. And, suddenly, I knew what I had to do to make things right. I had to change. I had to adjust my attitude. And I had to apologize to James.

January 3rd, 2013

Winter break is over and I'm back at NYU. I'm making my way back to my dorm so I can meet my new roommate. I walk in the door to see the light brown hair of my roommate, unpacking his stuff on his desk. He turned around to introduce himself and I can see the shock and horror on his face.

"You've got to be kidding me. You're my roommate again?! I'm stuck with you for another semester?! How the hell did that happen?!"

"I requested to be your roommate again, James. I got some perspective over the break and, while I know you don't owe me anything, I hope you'll hear me out."

He nods his head curtly in agreeance and I begin my spiel. "I was horrible to you all last semester. You just tried to be nice to me, tried to be my friend, and I didn't make that easy. In fact, I didn't let it happen at all. I thought you were just trying to rub your skill, and your popularity, and your good grades in my face but I know now that's not the case. I interpreted it that way because I was jealous of you. In high school, I was the football star with the amazing grades. Every girl wanted me and every guy wanted to be me. And, suddenly, I didn't have any of that but you did. You had everything I was used to and I was rude to you for it. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive my actions and treatment of you. And I hope that we can try being friends now. If you can't, I completely understand if you want a different roommate and I'll go and request a reassignment immediately."

James visibly relaxes and says "We're good, man."

September 23rd, 2016.

Christmas 2012 was a turning point for me. Alice gave me perspective and, as a result, I really grew up in college. I'm not the immature, cocky teen I used to be. And I also got a really great friend out of it. Once I apologized to James, it was a turning point and we became great friends. So great, actually, that we ended up just deciding to rent a place off campus when we became sophomores so that we didn't have worry about leaving the dorms and moving out all our stuff during breaks. I took him up on his offers to go to all the parties he got invited and football team outings and even his help with studying. I got to meet a lot of new people and I started to feel way less alone. I ended up graduating with honors, actually.

After graduation, we went our separate ways. I decided to move back to Forks for the time being to decide what, exactly, I want to do with my degree. I decided to do a double major in music theory and science. I'm thinking about med school but I could also become a producer or a music teacher. James got his degree in business but decided to accept a contract playing for the Chicago Bears while he still has the chance to. We don't see each much but we still keep in touch.

I park my car in the garage and enter the house.

 _"Home. Feels good to be back._ "

Upon walking in the living room, I see Alice and Jasper, surrounded by Mom, Dad, Emmett, and Rose. Em and Rose are still just engaged – they're really going for the long engagement. Jasper and Alice are engaged. Well, I'm mostly guessing because Jazz mentioned he was going to pop the question and there's no way Alice would say but I haven't actually heard anything from Alice about it yet.

"Hey, guys. What's going on? Why are we suffocating Alice and Jasper?"

Alice wheels around to show me her finger and excitedly says "Jasper proposed! We're getting married!"

"That's great, Al!" I grab her and ruffle her hair.

"Ed-ward! You'll mess it up!" She shrieks and tries to comb it into place with her fingers.

"It's fine, Al. For real, congratulations, you two."

Jasper walks up to me and says "I actually got something to ask you, too, Edward. Will you be my best man?"

I clap him on the back and say "Yeah, of course. I'd be happy to."

"Good because I got something else to tell you now. Alice asked Bella to be her maid of honor and is making her come to Forks for three months for the wedding planning. We're getting married in December so Alice wants her here to get all the planning and everything done. Just thought I'd give you a heads up. She'll be here next week."

Bella. I haven't seen her since Christmas Eve 2012. I've also tried to not think about her. I tried to get over her and date a few girls in college but they never amounted to anything. Truth is I broke Bella's heart and that's something I never got closure for. I never got to apologize for her for how our relationship ended and how I treated her and how I messed up. How I messed it all up. As a result, I never got to truly move on from her. I felt like I couldn't be with someone else until I apologized to her. I wonder if I'll get that chance now. I wonder how her life turned out. I wonder if she's still seeing that mystery guy, if she's still happy.

AN: Fin! See you guys next time! Bella will be arriving back in Forks! And it might be likely that she finally sees Edward again.


	4. TtWILY Chapter Four

**That's the Way I Loved You**

AN: Surprise! I didn't actually take four months to write and upload a new chapter! Inspiration struck early for this chapter and I couldn't ignore that so . . . happy birthday? Enjoy the chapter. Just a reminder: text like _'this'_ are text messages and text like _"this"_ are thoughts. And E  & B are now 23, obviously, since they've graduated college.

Chapter Four

September 27th, 2016 – BPOV

I let out as a breath as the plane touched down. I had been back to Forks countless times but this time was different. This time, I would definitely see Edward. I hadn't seen him since the night we broke up. To say I was nervous would be an understatement.

 _"Would it be awkward? Would it be like old times? Would he be seeing anyone? Has he seen anyone? Would we fall back into a pattern of old friends? Could we be friends?"_

That's a stupid question – it's impossible for us to be friends because too much has happened and I don't know if I'd even want to, if he'd even want to, but we'll have to get along for Alice and Jasper's sake. I wonder how Edward will get along with Jake, and vice versa, when he comes down the week of the wedding. I was nervous about telling Jake I'd have to return for three months but it was silly to be nervous. He's perfect and took it better than I thought I would. I should really give him more credit.

 _September 22_ _nd_ _, 2016_

 _Jake walked in the door just as I had set the bowl of spaghetti on the dining room table. He kissed me on the cheek before pulling out my chair for me and then moving to sit down at the other side of the table. I asked him why he always sits far from me once and he said that "the view from across the table is better."_

 _"Dinner looks great, Bells. And so does the place. You did a great job unpacking and decorating. Sorry I couldn't help with it."_

 _I smile earnestly. "It's okay – you had to work today and it was more important that you make a good impression on your first day. How'd it go? Did you like it?"_

 _Swallowing the giant mouthful of noodles, he answered. "It's great, Bells. Everyone is so nice and really relaxed. We're constantly telling jokes and messing with each other. I was kind of worried about some of the jokes because one of the mechanics is a chick and I wasn't sure what her personality would be like. Leah's totally cool, actually. She's just one of the guys and can dish it out as well as take it."_

 _It's nice to see him so happy and I'm glad he's fitting in and enjoying his new job. Conversation was light over dinner. He asked about my day and he told me more about his coworkers and told some stories about his customers. And, sometimes, we just ate in silence. It's nice to be at this point in our relationship – the point where we don't feel the need to fill every moment with words. We've reached the ultimate level of comfort with each other. After dinner, Jake helped me clean up and load the dishes into the dishwasher. We then made our way to the living room to watch the Seattle Mariners game we recorded on our DVR. I was never really into sports but baseball was one way I bonded with Charlie and he would always drag me to the games so it's the only one I pay attention to. Being from La Push, Jake likes the Mariners, too, and I love that we get to root for the same team. And that I don't have to fight him for the remote when they play. Jake is fast-forwarding the intermission as I get up to bring him the dessert I made._

 _"Black forest cake? What's going on? Why'd you make my favorite cake? It's not my birthday." He pauses the game. I put the cake on the coffee table._

 _"You know me too well." I take a deep breath and let it out. "I have to go back to Forks for three months. Alice is getting married and, as her Maid of Honor, I have to help her get it ready in time for her December wedding."_

 _"Okay. We'll make the distance work. What else is there?"_

 _Biting my lip, I say "Alice said Jasper is going to ask Edward to be his best man. Which means I'll have to spend a lot of time with him." I told Jacob a year after we started dating everything that happened with Edward. "I understand if this would make you uneasy but I promise it's nothing to be concerned about and nothing will –"_

 _He cuts me off with a kiss. "Stop. You don't need to explain. I trust you and I know nothing will happen. Now, I take it you're going to need a date for this wedding?"_

 _I laugh and kiss him before I pick up our slices of cake, hand one to him, and we finish the game._

September 27th, 2016.

Suitcase in hand, I make my way to the car rental stall to pick up the car I reserved. Of course there's a line but it's small so I'm out and on my way in about thirty minutes. Driving the way to my childhood home is almost like a routine. And, walking in the door, I see everything is the still exact same as it was when I lived here. Even my room is still the exact same, I see as I put my suitcase on my bed and start unpacking some essentials – laptop and charger so it can be ready for work, cell phone charger by my bed, hairbrush and make-up bag on my dresser, toiletries on the nightstand closest to the door.

I look wistfully at my body wash, wishing I had time for a shower to wash the long flight off me, but grab the rental keys and my purse, instead, and make my way out the door. Alice wants to have lunch to catch up and, mainly, to start the wedding planning.

I hadn't actually driven to the Cullen's house in years but I still know it like the back of my hand. The whole drive there, my nerves continue to increase. I'm hoping I won't actually see Edward yet but I just have this feeling that I'm going to see him today. Shaking the thoughts from my head- and trying to shake the uneasy feelings – I just focus on the drive and, before I know it, I'm at the Cullen's.

Opening the car door, I make my way up the steps and ring the bell. Carlisle opens the door and greats me.

"Bella, it's great to see you again. We've missed you in our home. We're excited you're back for the wedding, especially Alice." He smiles the warm, Carlisle smile I remember. I'm still used to it. I smile back and thank him while entering the house. Even walking through the front door feels normal. I take a look around the house and it looks like I never left. Given Esme's penchant for decorating, I'm surprised she hasn't redecorated it at all. The only difference is there are more pictures on the fireplace mantle and the shelves and the like, or, at least, it seems like there are more.

Walking down the entrance stairs, I move to the fireplace and lightly run my fingers along it, looking at the pictures there. One of Emmett and Rosalie, taken the Christmas he proposed. One of Alice and Jasper dressed in sporty apparel from one of their many baseball games played in a field nearby. One of Edward at his college graduation, alone.

Carlisle interrupts my browsing. "Did you have a safe flight?"

"Yes, I did. Well, as nice as a roughly six hour flight can be." I chuckle and he joins in.

"How's the new job? And how's Jake?"

"Both are great. I'm thankful and extremely lucky that my job allows me to travel, especially right now so I can be here for the wedding. You'll all finally get to meet Jake, actually. He's flying in the week before the wedding to be my date. The hospital still treating you right?"

"Yes, the hospital is. Everything is still the same, there, actually, except the Chief retired last year and they offered me his job. I accepted."

Moving to give him a hug, I congratulate him. "That's great! Congratulations, Carlisle!"

Our hug ends as Carlisle says, "Well, I won't keep you any longer. Esme, Rose, and Alice have been expecting you. They're outside on the patio and lunch is ready and waiting. I can't wait to meet Jacob."

He heads up to his office as I make my way towards the patio door. I take about two steps outside before Alice gracefully dances up to me and crushes me in a hug. Well, I suppose crushes is relative for a pixie. Nevertheless, I return the hug and say "Good to see you, too, Alice. Let me see the ring."

The ring looks amazing . . . and expensive. It shimmers in the Forks afternoon light as I admire the 1.5 carat, yellow, pear-shaped diamond surrounded by white diamonds with a row of white diamonds set in the band. Jasper knows Alice well. It's perfect for her. I tell her exactly that.

Alice sits down as Rose stands up to great me. Her hug is more tame than Alice's and only lasts for a second before she returns to her seat. Rose and I are great friends but she doesn't really do much hugging or physical contact . . . unless Emmett is involved. I make my way to Esme where she envelopes me in a warm hug. Esme's hugs are the best. They always feel like home and like they could go on forever. She lets me go and studies me before patting my cheek and sitting down.

I join her and look at the food set out on the table. There's a pitcher of iced tea with lemons, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a tower of sandwiches. We each grab some sandwiches and pile some fruit on our plates before filling up our glasses with tea.

"Esme, how is the event planning business?" Esme loves decorating as a hobby but plans events professionally.

"It's going really well, Bella. Thank you. I've just been asked to plan Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton's wedding, actually."

I nearly spit my tea out at that. "Wait, Jess and Mike are getting married? How did that happen? They went on, like, ten dates in high school and then fizzled out like five seconds later."

"They bumped into each other when they both came back from their respective colleges one summer and reconnected over lunch. They hung out all summer and, then, went their separate ways at the end when they went back to college. The next summer, they came back and Mike asked her on a real date. He proposed at the end of that summer, decided to go the long engagement route and, now that they're both done with school, they're devoting the time to plan their wedding but it's not going to happen until next year. Jess wants to get married in June." Rose explained.

"Speaking of long engagements, Rose, when are you and Emmett going to finally tie the knot?" Alice chimed in.

Rose just stuck her tongue out at Alice in answer. Alice has clearly been bothering them about this nonstop since it happened – and probably bothered them to let her plan the wedding – and started just giving her non-answers like this one.

"Okay, time to change the subject. As Maid of Honor, I think we should move on to planning the wedding that's going to happen in three months. Alice, where do we start?" And, with that, Alice started detailing her wedding itinerary and we spent the next hour talking about things Cullen-Whitlock Wedding 2016. Alice explained her vision and, by the end of it, we had decided to look at caterers on Thursday.

I finally told them I had to leave so I could see Charlie and Renee and wished them all good-bye. I was so close to leaving without having run in to Edward. I just had to make it a few more minutes. I'd reached the front door when I had almost done it. I was just about to open the front door when someone opened it and walked in the door. Edward. Seeing him for the first time in four years made me freeze in place. He stills looks the same, just older, and a little taller. Same pale, porcelain skin, same enticing, emerald eyes, same disheveled, bronze hair.

And, all at once, all the thoughts, all the feelings, all the memories, all the love and heartbreak came rushing back. He seemed frozen in place, too. I wonder what was going through his mind. After what feels like forever, I finally snap out of it. I continue making my way out the door and, robotically, Edward moves out of my way. I'm almost in my rental when I hear my name. I turn to face the direction it came from and see Edward jogging towards my car, towards me.

He stops in front of me and opens his mouth then runs his hand through his hair – something he does when he's nervous – and speaks. "Um, look, I know it's been a while and you don't really owe me anything but could we have lunch tomorrow? Just to clear the air and get rid of the awkwardness so we can partake in wedding activities and wedding planning with no weirdness. You know, for Alice and Jasper."

I'm shocked he's actually asked. This is different. This is an Edward I didn't expect. Something about him has changed, matured. Never in a million years, did I expect he would want to have an awkward, uncomfortable conversation. I realize I've been silent a little too long and haven't answered him yet when I see him knit his eyebrows in confusion – probably wondering if I've had a stroke or gone into shock or something.

Snapping myself out of it and releasing a breath I hadn't realized been holding, I answer. "Yes."

AN: That's the end of chapter four! Review and follow, if you want! I look forward to the feedback! If you want to see Alice's engagement ring, it's from Tiffany and Co. because, let's be real, Alice would be all about that life. It's called "Tiffany Soleste® Pear" and to see the actual diamond size, you'll have to change the carat option to 1.5 to get an idea of how large it is.


	5. TtWILY Chapter Five

**That's the Way I Loved You**

AN: Sorry for being a big ball of uploading fail! Life just gets in the way sometimes, you know? I also happen to have a motivation issue sometimes but I have absolutely zero plans to just forget about this story. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Also, text like _'this'_ are text messages and text like _"this"_ are thoughts.

Disclaimer: Twilight = not mine.

 **Chapter Five**

September 28th, 2016, 11:50 am – BPOV

 _"Ugh, why did I agree to this stupid lunch? And why did I even show up early? It's not like Edward will actually be here on time."_

I woke up this morning in my old bed, under the same blue comforter from high school, looking at the same light purple walls. And it had felt like I was transported back to the day I had my first date with Edward – completely on edge, nerves shot. I have no idea how Edward exactly expects to clear the air or how this lunch will go but it's for Alice and Jasper. They deserve a wedding with no drama, awkwardness, or animosity between Edward and myself. Trying to calm my nerves, I take a sip of my water on the table when I hear the light dew drops tone alerting me to a text message.

 _'Calm down, Bells. You've got this. It's for the best. You're doing it for Alice and Jasper and it will be good to have Edward back in your life, if you decide to be friends with him. I support you. I love you.'_

I smile down at my phone and the sweet, supportive text message from Jake, instantly feeling all my nervousness just wash away. He always makes me feel calm and knows exactly what to say. I called Jake last night when I got back from seeing the Cullen's and he asked me how it went, how it feels to be back. We chatted for a bit before I told him that Edward asked me to lunch "to clear the air," as Edward put it. I offered to cancel but he told me I should go. And then I told him that I was on the fence about it and he told me it would be good for me to hear him out. He pointed out that maybe Edward would apologize, maybe it would provide closure and I could completely move on from this and get someone who used to be really important to me back in my life.

I told him he was right, thanked him for putting it in perspective, and agreed to not cancel on Edward. But I didn't even know if I wanted Edward back in my life, if I wanted to be friends with him. We hung up exchanging our 'I love you's and Jake reaffirming his support if I regain Edward's friendship. This lunch could provide closure but there's still so much pain there. I woke up this morning unsure of what to do. I'm currently still unsure and mulling it over when I see Edward walk in the door.

I check my watch and get up to greet him. "11:55. You're . . . early." I say, astonished.

Edward shrugs his shoulders. "What can I say? I'm not the same Edward that I was in high school anymore. We can get into that while we wait for our food. Let's sit down and order." Edward slides into the booth and I follow suit. I've already decided on what to get so, as Edward searches the menu, I take a look at Stanley's Diner to see if there are any changes. Like everything in this town, it's mostly stayed the same. Same black and white checkered, linoleum floors, same plain white walls with the white subway tiles and white crown molding at the base. Same white with black speckles Formica tabletops. The chairs are in the same style but they obviously invested in some new ones as the red plastic cushions look a little brighter and don't have the same several years old wear-and-tear as the booths do. They likely thought the booths weren't worth the hassle and, probably, also thought that it added character. They added a fancy espresso machine, though, and finally decided to have Wi-Fi. They also upgraded some of the music selection in the jukebox as Taylor Swift's "All Too Well" came from the speakers. The vibe that the Stanley's originally wanted was late 70's/early 80's one so music from that time period would always be playing when I hung out here four years ago.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward has put his menu down and is looking at me curiously.

"What?"

"You have your thoughtful look on. The one with the little crinkle in between your nose that you get when you're really thinking about something or focused on something."

"Oh." Snapping myself back to reality, I answer, "I was just looking at the few diner changes and thinking about how it's kind of crazy that so much can change in just four years yet stay exactly as it was at the same time."

Edward chuckles at that. "It is pretty crazy. Kind of feels like we transported instantly back to high school."

"Yeah, it does. We used to always sit in that booth over there." I point to our former usual booth in the back corner. "Emmett would always try to embarrass me. And he'd always succeed."

"Your face would always turn as red as a tomato. Rose would always drag him away to spare you." We reminisced a bit more until a waitress interrupted us for our order. I kept my water and got a chicken salad. I look at Edward curiously as he orders a turkey club sandwich and also sticks with water.

The waitress walks away to put our order in and he asks me "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Flustered at being caught and called out, I tell him "I'm just surprised. You look so much like the Edward from high school but you're like this Edward I've never met. You ordered a sandwich instead of a greasy burger. You asked me to lunch, to have this awkward, uncomfortable conversation. I noticed it yesterday, too - something about you has changed. You've. . . matured."

With a slight smile, he explains, "Yeah, college changed me. It was different, so different from Forks. But it helped me grow. And, since you brought it up, that's as good a segue as any. I wanted to say I'm sorry for how I treated you at the end of our relationship."

I'm shocked and speechless as he continues. "I didn't think about you or consider you for certain events. I didn't think about how the things I did, the way I acted, would hurt you or affect you or make you worried. I was young and immature and I should've handled things better, especially when it came to our anniversary. I messed up and I know _us_ is long gone but I want to be your friend, Bella. Not having you in my life has _sucked_. I miss you - you were one of my best friends and I want that back. If you can't forgive me or you can but think that we shouldn't be friends, I understand, but I hope we can. If not, I hope this, at least, gives us both closure."

His apology speech lasted only a moment but, for the second time in two days, he's done something I've never expected in a million years. He took responsibility. He apologized. He didn't put the blame on someone or something else. College changed him, indeed. And, suddenly, I knew I missed Edward, too. I knew I wanted to forgive and be his friend again. After all, that was always the best part of us. I realize he's been waiting for my response so I find my words.

"I'd really like that, Edward. I've missed my friend, too. I'd also like to get back to our friendship."

He smiles brightly and, now that the air is clear, the room feels so much lighter. Our food arrives and we talk and joke like we used to. It feels really good to have Edward back in my life. I didn't realize how much I had actually missed him. We spend our time catching up on all that we missed in the past four years. How he double majored and graduated with honors but has no idea where to go next and came back to figure it out. How I graduated with my English degree and work as a columnist for an online publication. And I told him about Jake. He didn't seem too surprised, smiled, and said he was happy for me but something about it didn't reach his eyes.

Eventually, we each paid our half of the bill and said goodbye. I called Jake and told him everything that happened at lunch, including rekindling my friendship with Edward. True to his word, he was supportive and understanding. He even said he couldn't wait to meet Edward when he came down for the wedding. And, as I unblocked Edward from everything, I thought, _"Forks really did transport us back to the past."_

AN: Fin! I know it's been a while since I uploaded a chapter and that I already mentioned being a big ball of uploading fail but I do mean it when I say I'm not giving up on this story. Sometimes, I lack motivation. Sometimes, I'm busy. Sometimes, I'm not inspired. Sometimes, it's two of those or all of those. I wish I could say that I would be better about writing and uploading but I can't guarantee that, especially since I'm finally going back to college after moving across the country. The semester starts in January and I've been in school a long time and I'm ready to be done so school and then work will be my priorities but I WILL work on this story, too. If those of you who started with the first chapter are still around and still reading and still interested in my story, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I really appreciate you and I hope you continue to still be a fan and reader of this. If you're new and just coming into this story, I thank you as well and ask for patience and understanding. I also hope you'll be fans and readers, even though my updating will sporadic and may not happen for months at a time. To all of you, you can always message me and ask for updates or questions. I promise I will do my best to answer and respond to them. I don't believe in asking for follows or reviews but, if you want to and decide to, I appreciate all of them and I appreciate all of you. Sorry for the long author's note. Happy Holidays, everyone!

2/25/18 UPDATE: I know I haven't been the best at updating this story and I do still plan on continuing it. However, thanks to a jerk who is leaving mean, anonymous reviews, I'm not going to be working on this story at all anytime soon. I have deleted and will continue to delete reviews that are mean. If you don't like it or don't like something but are nice and polite about it, then I won't touch it because everyone has a different opinion and you have the right to yours. However, that does not mean you get to be rude and I have the right to not be treated poorly but, instead, have the right to be treated like a decent being. To the person leaving the rude reviews, I have some advice of my own; 1 - there is a thing called CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, of which yours was _not_ , so, please, try it. If you think it was constructive criticism, I think you need to look up the definition. 2 - Based on your reviews, it seems you don't even like Twilight _or_ Edward and Bella, of which this is a story for - and they're marked as the pairing whereas Bella and Jacob are not, by the way - so why are you reading it instead of something you actually like? It might be a better use of your time. And 3 - If you mean what you say and stand by it, have the guts to come off anonymous and use an account to review.

This is a community meant to build people up, help, and support them and their writing, not tear them down like you are trying to do. I will not stand for this abuse that I know I do not deserve. Treat people like people. Don't be a jerk. There _is_ a polite and respectful way for you to say what you want to say but you are choosing not to use it and are choosing to be rude and hurtful. In summation for the internet troll, I am a human being and have the right to be treated as one. If you choose not to do that, get off my story because your hate won't be tolerated _or_ accepted here.


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